United Development Company (UDC) has said it is moving steadily with the development of its latest project, Gewan Island, while adhering to safety measures, despite the pandemic’s repercussions on public and business life.
The island is poised to be a "remarkable addition to UDC’s portfolio of breakthrough iconic developments", which also includes The Pearl-Qatar, the company has said in a statement.
Ibrahim Jassim al-Othman, UDC president, CEO and member of the board, said: “We have come a significant way in the development of Gewan Island and managed the pandemic’s impact by applying a multi-faceted action plan while maintaining quality, safety and environmental standards, which are key characteristics of all UDC projects.


Raft foundation concrete pour at Gewan Island

“We will continue with our efforts to deliver this pioneering project, which will open up new horizons for the development of modern cities in Qatar by creating residential, commercial and entertainment products and services that seek to enhance the quality of life.”
As a major development milestone, UDC recently launched construction works on Crystal Residence’s 15 buildings with the start of blinding and raft foundation works at the common basement level.
The first major concrete pour was successfully completed in August boasting of 5,000 cubic metres of concrete, which constitutes one of the largest concrete-pouring operations in Qatar - taking 33 hours to complete.
This is considered a major achievement given the magnitude of the operation and the challenges faced amid the limitations caused by the pandemic, UDC has stressed. Two more similar major slab concrete pours totaling 9,000 cubic metres have also been carried out this month, while another massive pour operation of 8,800 cubic metres began in the past few days, marking the completion of more than a third of the total land area. Thirteen more pouring operations are planned over the coming months until January next year.
The Crystal Residence buildings sit at the heart of Gewan Island within a vibrant commercial and residential district, with unobstructed sea views from one side and the outdoor climatised ‘crystal walkway’, which is the island’s lively retail hub, from the other.
Once completed in 2022, they will have 586 apartment units ranging from one to four bedrooms, 101 public retail, entertainment and dining outlets, comprehensive leisure facilities for residents, and 1,456 underground car parks.
UDC has also begun the construction of Gewan Island’s entrance cable-stayed bridge, which will connect the island to The Pearl-Qatar and the main highway. The 250m-long bridge rests on two pylons 43m above The Pearl-Qatar’s Boulevard, and will feature motifs, decorative lighting and rose gold finishes, which complement Gewan Island’s character. Once complete, the bridge promises to be a landmark and an architectural and engineering masterpiece.
Construction works of the pylons have already started earlier this year and the foundations are already completed. Works on the bridge towers have also begun in addition to the first pre-casting operation of the first concrete segment forming the bridge’s deck, which was performed last week, out of a total 42 segments. Bridge works are expected to continue further into next year.
Simultaneously, reclamation works at the island’s entrance are done, which has allowed other works to be mobilised in adjacent areas mainly the golf course, hotel and beach club where primary infrastructure works have already started. While these have been signed off to be operated by Corinthia Hotels, UDC has yet to award hotel and beach club construction works in the second quarter of 2021.
The Corinthia Gewan Island Qatar Hotel will be an architectural jewel combining urban luxury and neo-classical design. It is envisioned to become a unique landmark on Gewan Island and a benchmark of high-end hospitality in Doha. It will also include many leisure activities and amenities such as a luxurious beach club with stunning chalets and exquisite restaurants, Gewan Golf Club stretching over six hectares of parkland, and a kids' club.
Shaping the borders of Gewan Island is a set of 26 waterfront villas with private pontoons and 21 beachfront villas with private beaches in addition to six private island mansions at Gewan’s crest which will have an area of 4,500sqm to 9,500sqm and can accommodate ultra-luxurious mansions and a private yacht harbor, in addition to being accessible via a private driveway.
Marine works, including reclamation, shaping of the seabed, forming of private beaches, creating a new navigational channel for boats and placing of rock groins to separate the villas, have already been finalised. Meanwhile, to ensure the safety of mariners, tower lights, blinkers and temporary marker buoys have been installed, which will be replaced by 25 navigational buoys in accordance with the guidelines of the International Association of Marine Aids to Navigation and Lighthouse Authorities.
While construction works continue in full swing at Gewan Island, development activities have reached the milestone of over 1mn site working hours without any Lost Time Injuries, which proves again "UDC’s unwavering commitment to the health and safety of all site workers and contractors", the statement adds.
Further, UDC said it also attaches great importance to the sustainability of its projects and operations. To this end, batching plant facilities have been erected for the supply of concrete on the project by United Readymix, a UDC joint venture company, which will reduce delivery time and construction traffic and hence the impact, to the existing road networks adjacent to Gewan Island and The Pearl-Qatar.
To reduce the waste of the project during the construction stage, a temporary recycling plant is also being installed to recycle waste concrete and water generated from construction works for reuse in other works.
Once completed, Gewan Island will enrich the urban landscape of the West Bay area, as it is located adjacent to The Pearl-Qatar spanning 400,000sqm and accommodating 3,500 residents and a similar number of visitors daily.
The island will be home to 657 residential units, including 586 apartments, 21 beachfront villas with private beach, 26 waterfront villas that are equipped with private pontoons for private boats, six independent island mansions, 11,000sq m of retail spaces and 15 multi-use buildings.
It will also feature a golf course with the five-star Corinthia Gewan Island Qatar Hotel and connected beach club, an air-conditioned outdoor crystal walkway and seaside promenade, parks and green areas in addition to various entertainment facilities, a clubhouse and a mosque.

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